She is a mentor at Cape Breton University's In.Business program, which connects Indigenous business leaders with Indigenous youth.

"Maybe they can see me and think: 'I can do it!'" Racette hopes.

Raclette is already creating positive effects for many different marginalized groups through VirtualGuru.

She proudly lists some of the people for whom her company has found jobs: trans people in the middle of transitioning who can't find work, people who have mental health and anxiety issues, and stay-at-home moms struggling to make ends meet but who can't afford daycare.

For such people, working virtually as an assistant offers flexibility which is crucial for their lives.

The upshot of virtual work

So, what does a virtual assistant do?

They're contractors who do everything you'd expect a run-of-the-mill office assistant to do: administrative work, bookkeeping, answering the phone, etc. They just do these tasks wherever they happen to be.

It's far from a perfect solution.

According to a 2016 study by a federal agency that does policy analysis, Horizons Canada, virtual work is expected to be a part of most Canadians' work experience by 2030.

While the work can be flexible, the study suggests it can also be more uncertain.